


Kings of the Wild Frontier

by queenofcats



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Attempts at historical accuracy, Femdom, Light Bondage, M/M, Prostitution, Trans Character, Wild West AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 13:43:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7510600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofcats/pseuds/queenofcats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erwin, the Sheriff of a small American town in the Wild West, has one goal in life, and that goal is to take down Levi, a serial killer who's been haunting him for years. On top of that, he also has his unrequited love for Marie, a prostitute employed by Hange, to contend with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kings of the Wild Frontier

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this for ages, but I finally managed to get it done! Yay! This is all because I love cowboy accents and I thought "What if Erwin had one?". Lol.  
> The term 'Indian' is used to refer to Native Americans, because as far as I can tell, that's what was used at the time.  
> Also the title has literally nothing to do with the fic. It's just that when I was writing this, I was listening to an Adam and the Ants playlist, and it's a good song. lol

"Come on, let's get 'im!"

The horses charged, hooves galloping at an impressive pace. Dust flew everywhere, the sun beating down on them all. It was almost enjoyable, each man with a gun, about to kill a criminal. It was, in a sick and twisted way, sport. 

Each of the three men riding had their own, personal reasons for being there, but there was one thing that united them. They were the Sheriff and his deputies, intent on dishing out justice to those who deserved it.

Nile, the youngest of the two deputies, had the fastest horse. She was black and sleek, with a shiny coat. His pride and joy, he always said, his horse was beautiful and full of life, a stark contrast to himself. This was because Nile was an ugly man, with a scratchy beard and sunken, small, pale eyes. No wonder he devoted all his time to drinking. He'd been promoted to deputy even though Erwin knew of his potential for corruption, what with his drinking and gambling habits. Nile was one of his oldest friends, though and Erwin knew that he could at least trust him. He had a sharp mind, even with his issues, and was stubborn enough to pursue even the toughest of crooks. 

His horse was so fast, he could have been extremely close to catching up with their target, a short figure who was actually only on foot, albeit running at an impressive pace. But Nile was unfamiliar with the town, so couldn't navigate very well, which meant he was slowed down considerably. Their small and very agile target ran, darting in and out of alleys and climbing over fences. He was giving them hell.

"Fuck!" Nile yelled, his horse having bucked him almost right off of her. They'd almost collided with a fence that he hadn't known was there.

Mike was able to keep up with Nile, but mainly as backup as he knew how Nile could be. He was riding the horse he'd had since childhood, strong, dependable, and a lovely creamy brown colour. She was doing a damn good job of keeping the pace, but that's what he loved about her. She was perfect for pushing forwards and persevering, although he had another reason for it. As Erwin's brother, Mike felt extra responsibility for catching the man they were chasing, since Erwin had made it his life's mission to get him, and most likely to hang him.

They all followed the running man through one particular alley, empty houses and taverns and shops and whatever else looming on each side, the dust and sand of the ground almost obscuring where they were headed. He was running so fast, and no one quite knew how he was managing to keep such an ridiculous speed, but it didn't matter. They needed to catch him, and fast.

Erwin broke away from the rest of the horses, taking a detour down another path, horse running round to meet the target. He was effectively cornered, in a tight spot. There was no possible way he'd escape, surely. Each side except one were pale white walls, and the side that wasn't was blocked off by two beefy men, and Nile.

But, once the dust settled, and the men were about to go forward, they realised something, something pretty big.

Their target was gone.

\--

"You did what you could, Erwin." Mike said, attempting to console his brother.

"I know, but I coulda... I coulda got 'im this time." he replied, completely dejected.

Nile rode behind them. He was pretty pissed off himself, and he felt like it was probably his fault. However, he wasn't going to let on.

"Well, maybe if Nile payed more 'ttention from now on, we'd be gettin' somewhere next time we come out." Mike chuckled, clearly only teasing. The dark haired man took offence to it, though.

"Fuck off. Ain't none of this my fault. I was tryin' hard!"

Erwin was in a world of his own while his brother and friend bickered. He was sick of trying to catch his criminal. He was the Sheriff, he should be able to do it. He rode off, faster than the other two, towards the tavern in their home town.

\--

"I want the strongest thing you got." he said glumly, sitting down at the bar.

"For the Sheriff, it'll be on the house!" Petra grinned, honey eyes crinkling up.

Erwin smiled, although his heart wasn't in it. He couldn't help it, today had really depressed him, more than usual considering he was sort of stuck in a rut. His job was failing, since even though he'd managed to decrease the crime rate, he was still struggling to close up his biggest case. His love life was also failing, since no one wanted to marry the Sheriff, who could die at any moment, and the one woman he loved was completely unavailable. Other relationships were near impossible, since neither of his parents were alive anymore, and he didn't have much in the way of a social life because of how much he tried to devote himself to his work. He was just plain miserable. 

"I'm tired, Petra." he complained, pinching and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I know, sweetie. You're the most stressed out man I know, 'course you're tired." she replied, patting his other hand sympathetically.

She set down a beer of some sort, he wasn't too sure what it was, and hopped over the bar to sit next to him.

"C'mere, hun." she said, draping an arm across his broad shoulders. "It'll get better, and you know it will. Your ma and pa would be proud of you, your pa 'specially, since you've made our town a safe place to live in. Mike's proud of you, plus me an' Hange are proud of you too, you know."

"I'm glad..." Erwin said, although he was working on autopilot at that moment. He was just sick of people telling him he was doing alright- he knew very well that he wasn't.

He chugged his drink, and stood up.

"Only one drink?" Petra asked, eyebrow raised.

"I think I'm gonna head on upstairs." Erwin replied. "Good evening, ma'am."

"Oh, Erwin, you know you don't need to talk all gentleman-like to me!" she said. Erwin shrugged, the corners of his lips turning up slightly.

"It wouldn't do no good if the people heard me talkin' to you like they talk to the girls upstairs." he replied.

Petra nodded, eyes wandering up. There was a set of stairs that led up to the brothel, run by Hange, from the bar.

Hange was Erwin's oldest friend, had been since they were kids. Even then, Hange hadn't really been anything like a boy or a girl. They were just Hange. Erwin didn't care, though. They'd helped him out more times than he could count, and were always willing to do whatever it took, just like him. If Erwin had been interested in anything other than women, he might have fallen in love with Hange, who was a beautiful, androgynous beanpole, gifted with the ability to pull off a corset and dress, and a form-fitting suit all in one night, and brains to rival Erwin's own. Luckily he hadn't, though, as a pretty ginger barmaid by the name of Petra was fated to move to the town after her husband, Auruo, died. She'd fallen in love with Hange pretty quickly, and they'd married within six months.  Erwin was immensely happy for them both. Now they were married, Hange usually dressed as a man to keep up appearances- the townspeople weren't as understanding as Erwin and Petra, but occasionally they dressed like a woman for fun.

Tonight was one of those occasions, Erwin saw, as they wore a dress and plenty of makeup, a stark contrast to his favourite girl, Marie, who was hanging on their arm. She was wearing underwear and a little bit of lipstick and eye makeup, but that was it. 

"Hey Winnie, how's things?" Hange called, grinning. That was Erwin's mother's nickname for him, and once she'd passed away, Hange had declared themselves his new mother. Erwin had appreciated it at the time, and he still did, since both Hange and Petra looked after him well.

Marie nodded at him, still wearing a very solemn expression on her face. The first time Erwin had met Marie, he'd fallen practically head over heels for her. She was strangely gorgeous. Her hair was short and glossy black, which drew attention to her pale grey feline eyes. She had a delicate nose and cheekbones, and a pouty little mouth, pink and soft looking. Then there was her body... Even from the first moment he'd set eyes on her, Erwin couldn't wait to touch her. She had rather petite breasts, less than a handful for Erwin, but she had large, childbearing hips and curvy thighs. There was just something so... womanly about her, so deliciously sensual and feminine, even though she had rough bony hands and a deep, syrupy voice. He'd paid for a night with her without even thinking about it, and God, she was worth it. She wasn't the normal meek and submissive prostitute that most men wanted, she often knew what Erwin needed better than he did. She also made sure that both of them came, which was rare.

Plus, she was smart. She might not have been able to read or write, but she was an intelligent person, able to converse with Erwin like they had the same background. It was refreshing, that a woman in the town could talk her mind and be able to banter with him, and be able to think for herself. She was perfect in Erwin's eyes.

Now, Erwin wasn't a stupid man. He knew nothing could ever happen between them, but he was still completely in love with her. That's why almost every other day, he paid for a night with her. It was the closest he could get to a relationship, quite honestly, and it wasn't like he couldn't afford it. 

"Alright, Hange." he replied, finally. They knew about his ongoing case, and knew that he needed a form of stress relief.

"Sheriff, tonight I got an offer for ya!" Hange grinned, and Erwin knew exactly what it'd entail.

"Yeah?" he asked, smiling.

"You get Marie half price for a couple hours, and then tomorrow night, you come round to ours for dinner, 'kay?" Hange said. They were fond of asking him to do so, since Petra loved trying out her cooking on as many people as possible. And it wasn't as though Marie missed out on any money, since Hange always paid the same amount, regardless of what deals and offers they made up.

"'Course." he replied, still staring deep into Marie's eyes. She looked down, still seemingly embarrassed by the attention even though he'd looked at her like that every time they met.

They were both led into a room by Hange, and it was then that the magic began.

Marie wasn't wearing much to begin with, of course, only her pale purple silky underwear, complete with black lace, but the teasing show she made of taking it all off made Erwin so very hard. She always knew how to work her audience.

He was sat on the edge of the bed, cock out proudly on display already. The first time Marie saw it, her eyes had widened a little considering it was long and girthy, but she hadn't seemed to care after that, more concerned about giving Erwin his money's worth.

"Is there anythin' in particular that you wanna do with me tonight?" Marie asked, a thin eyebrow raised in expectation. It was like she could sense his stress, because the way they usually started off the night was with a couple of drinks and a chat, not sex straight away. It was unconventional, but it suited them.

He smiled softly. "I just wanna make love to you. Nothin' fancy."

Marie seemed almost disappointed, but made her way over to him all the same.

"Alright then, Erwin..." she said, taking one of his hands. "Feel how wet you've made me already."

His fingers traced the folds of her pussy, and he could feel it. She was practically dripping, after only a short amount of time. Without warning, he pushed a finger up into her hole, which clenched tight around him.

"Asshole." she hissed, clearly not expecting it. "I thought you wanted to make love, not take advantage of me."

He replied by pumping his finger in and out, stroking her clit with his thumb as he did so. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and she bit her lip, not letting out another sound.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" he asked, pulling out finally. Marie nodded, although she looked as though she hated being empty.

He ran his large hands up and down her thighs, taking in the smooth pale skin covering a vast expanse. 

"You're gettin' off on touchin' my thighs?" Marie asked, incredulously. 

"No, but you know I think yours are delicious." Erwin replied, a little breathlessly. He took hold of her wide hips, and guided her so she could sink down on his cock, which she did with ease.

"Fuck!" she sighed, once fully seated. In one swift motion, Erwin held onto her back, pushing her small breasts flush against his own chest, and almost rolled, so she had her back on the bed, and he was standing.

And then he began, pounding into her with short, sharp thrusts.

"Fuck! Oh, fuck! Erwin!" Marie moaned, obviously unable to say more than that at the moment.

Erwin's hands wandered all over her body, toying with her perky nipples, running his fingers down her sides. He couldn't control himself, not with her. She was gorgeous, and he wanted more. He always did. Of course he knew she was a prostitute, he'd come to terms with it a long time ago, but he was allowed to want her, allowed to want more from her.

Before long, Marie was climaxing, pussy tightening around Erwin's cock, milking him before there was anything to take. Erwin felt his own orgasm approaching, so did the decent thing and pulled out, releasing all over the floor instead of inside Marie.

She stayed lying down for a moment or two, chest heaving.

"Well, then." Erwin said, tucking himself back inside his trousers. "Thank you for that, Marie."

"No problem." she replied, sitting up, bare chested and unashamed. "What was it this time?"

She stood up and fetched a deep blue robe from her wardrobe, slipping it on as she waited for Erwin to talk.

"It's Levi." he replied, sitting down on the bed, where Marie had just been sat. She nodded, looking sympathetic. He liked to take advantage of her intelligence in conversations like these. Occasionally she helped him solve minor cases, since as a whore, she was practically his eyes and ears in the seedy underworld of the town. But she was also good at just listening to him, which was often all he needed, and so she knew as much of the main case, Levi's case, as Erwin did, often providing valuable hints and clues that she'd been given by other clients. The terrible thing was that while Erwin had himself, his two deputies, and Marie on his side, Levi was also an extremely clever person, so a lot of accurate and helpful information about him was only so for a short period of time before it became old news. Levi was unfortunately always ten steps ahead.

"We were so close to catchin' him." he explained. "I coulda got him, but he was too fast, even for Nile and his stupid damn horse. Slipped straight through my fingers, he did. I'm gonna get him, though, I swear I will. Even if it kills me."

Marie sat behind Erwin, pressing kisses to the back of his neck. "You'll get him, alright, and once you get him, you can settle down as a rich old man like you always wanted." she said, soothingly.

"You think so?" Erwin asked, turning to look behind him.

"I know so. You'll have a wife, and all those snotty smart kids that you won't shut up about, and probably die from being too damn perfect, as an embarrassing old man. Now, we still have a lotta time left. You gonna fuck me again? Or d'ya want a massage?" Marie replied. She always did have a way with words.

Erwin smiled softly. "A massage would be lovely, thank you."

\--

The next day, Erwin spent most of his time investigating leads relating to Levi. A lot of them were no more than hearsay, an echo of a whisper of a shadow, nothing that he could use. He was still very stressed out, even though his night with Marie was meant to be an outlet for it.

"Hello?" a voice called. Then he heard someone barging into his office. "Winnie?"

It was Hange, and they had a tray of biscuits. "Petra reckons you need food. According to Mike, you ain't eaten since yesterday mornin'. Now how d'ya reckon you're gonna get Levi if you've wasted away to nothin', huh?"

Erwin sighed, and accepted the tray. "Tell her thanks. I'll eat these in a minute. I just need to-"

"Erwin, come on. Five minutes ain't gonna make no difference." Hange said, sitting down across from him.

"It might." he replied. He knew he was being stupidly stubborn, but he had to just get this done.

"You're so much like your dad, you know. I heard he also used to get easily obsessed by things he didn't know or understand. It's great, but sometimes I worry for you. "

Erwin sighed. He didn't like to admit it, but it was true. Levi and his murders had become something of an obsession for him. It was because he needed to figure it all out, needed to know who he was, and why he did it, and he just needed to stop him once and for all. His father before him had been the Sheriff too, and he'd almost met his match against Kenny the Ripper, another serial killer who'd long since been caught and hanged, by another town's Sheriff. But he remembered how many birthdays and other special events that his dad had missed because he'd allowed his obsession to consume him. Right after they'd got Kenny, and his father had finally got closure on his case, his heart gave out, because of the years of stress that had built up and made him weak. Sure, Erwin was worried the same might happen to him, but honestly, he would not care one bit. He had nothing left for him here, anyway.

"I'll leave these here. Make sure you eat 'em, otherwise Petra will double your portion tonight. You do remember that you're comin' over for dinner, right?" Hange said, standing back up. Erwin nodded.

"See you later, Hange." he called as they left his office.

\--

That night, dinner with Hange and Petra was pleasant. It was plain to see that they were still very much in love with each other, after all that time. They were talking about taking in an orphan, since no matter what Hange had in their trousers, Petra couldn't carry a baby anyway. She'd had a horse riding accident as a child, and it meant her womb didn't work properly. So even if Hange did have the right parts to fit inside her, there was no chance of them naturally conceiving.

Erwin wondered about his own future. He wanted what Hange had, an adoring wife to come home to, who'd cook meals and clean for him, but also speak her mind and act as his equal, not just a maid with a ring on her finger. Marie would be perfect, but there was no way she'd ever marry him, purely because he had nothing to offer her, plus it was a given that his life could be taken any day. His own father had had multiple assassination attempts against him, being the first Sheriff who hadn't been corrupt. It had been tough on his mother, and tough on him too. He wouldn't want to put Marie through that.

After dinner, he walked home alone, slightly depressed at how his life had turned out. It was nothing like what he'd wanted, but at the same time, it was strangely satisfying. He could do whatever he pleased, with no wife and children to worry about. He had money, so he could easily afford whatever he wanted. Best of all, he had power. But Erwin wasn't the sort of man to take advantage of any of that. He didn't want all the power and money he had. All he wanted right now was to catch Levi. 

\--

He made arrangements that day to follow another lead. There was a house on the outskirts of town that, according to locals, was the centre of multiple illegal activities. Levi was reported to have ties to it, although Erwin was sceptical of it. Still, a lead was a lead, and he wouldn't be doing his job properly if he didn't listen to the people of his town.

It was a small, cosy looking house, not the large, imposing drug den he'd been expecting. He was alone, as Mike and Nile were busy sorting out some minor crimes that had been reported. It was okay, though, he could handle himself. He was the Sheriff, his reputation was plenty to keep control of most people. He was also tall and rather broad, so he looked more scary than he actually was. And if the person he was talking to wasn't scared of him to begin with, he could always use his strength to make them feel that way.

The sun was even hotter today than it had been yesterday, and as Hange had told him to, Erwin wore a hat to protect him from it. He felt as though it also added to his intimidating look, although Petra said that he looked more like a children's entertainer than a Sheriff.

He knocked on the door, what was left of the peeling brown paint was boiling hot, and he hadn't expected it. He was still cradling his hand when the door opened and a young man stared up at him.

"Hello?" he said, unsure of himself. The man had unusual hair, half brown, half blond, and narrow brown eyes that squinted even more with suspicion.

"May I come in?" Erwin asked. He didn't even need to flash his badge in order for the man to nod.

"Marco, we  got a visitor!" the man called into the house as he led the way. Erwin followed him in, shutting the door behind him.

"Fuck. I ain't ready to see no visitors." came another, distinctively male voice.

"It's the Sheriff."

A large sigh could be heard, but still, Erwin was allowed in.

The man led him to the living room, which looked spacious and large considering how small the rest of the house looked. There was a chair facing away from the window, and in it sat another man, who Erwin assumed was Marco. He had freckles, and wide brown eyes, and he looked so much younger than the first man, but only because of his baby face. This Marco was definitely a man, though, because even sitting down Erwin could tell he was broad shouldered and stocky. Erwin's eyes drifted down to notice that the man was only wearing underwear, and that he had a distinct lack of leg below one of his knees.

"Good mornin', mister...?" Erwin said, drawing his eyes back up to face Marco.

"Bodt. Marco Bodt." the brunet replied, seeming more happy than he'd sounded a moment ago. "And that's Jean, behind you."

Erwin turned to look at the man who'd brought him in, and nodded.

"Now, I've gotta ask a few questions, but I'm wonderin' why I even came here." Erwin said. There was nothing illegal going on here, no drugs, no whores, no murders, no nothing. "I was told this was the base of many illegal activities, but so far, I don't think I've seen anything that looks extraordinary."

Jean chuckled bitterly, taking a seat next to Marco. "You mean you ain't gonna arrest us 'cause we're homosexuals?"

Erwin suddenly realised that that was the criminal activity that he'd been told about. Nothing truly harmful, just something that the God-fearing people of the town found immoral.

"No, 'course I ain't. I'm a Sheriff, not a priest." Erwin replied. He sighed. There was honestly no point to this visit. The only reason Levi had probably been linked to this house was because a lot of people in the town saw homosexuals as criminals, and because of that, it was an assumption that just one crime wouldn't be enough. All criminals had to be homosexual too.

"Just in case, you boys don't happen to know anyone called Levi, do you?" Erwin asked. "No one's come over, asking 'bout anything or...?"

Both men shook their heads. "Sorry, Sheriff." Marco said. "No one comes here 'cept the people that want us hanged."

Erwin frowned to himself, finding it ridiculous that someone could want to hang two boys simply for being in love. "Okay, well, next time you get any trouble, call the station. I'll make sure that you two are safe."

Marco looked at him as though he was mad, before smiling. "Thanks, Sheriff. Ain't no one done anything like that for us before." He still looked sad, though, but Erwin bet that was because he probably didn't believe anything would change.

"I'd do it for anyone in the town." Erwin said, putting his hat back on. "And I'm sorry to have bothered you both on such a nice day. I'll leave you two be. If you ever hear anythin', though, 'bout Levi, make sure to call the station too."

\--

"So, the two boys were just gay?" Marie laughed, in disbelief. She and Erwin were having one of their pre-sex chats.

"Mhmm." Erwin nodded. "I don't understand how these people can claim to understand the Bible, and then hate the people that God made. They can't change how they are, no more than I can change-" He stopped before he could mention his love for Marie. "-Uh, change the fact that I like women."

Marie looked as though she was going to say something, before she let out a sigh. "Sometimes I envy Hange. Don't you?" she finally said. Erwin nodded. For him, they represented freedom to do as he wished, and also, the ideal life that he wanted to lead, even if their business was slightly less than reputable.

"Maybe we should actually fuck now." Marie said, smirking. "I wouldn't want you to waste your money on a night spent jus' talkin'."

Erwin nodded again. He didn't think that a night spent talking with Marie would be a waste, but he also wanted to fuck her as he intended to.

"I was wondering if you'd try something out with me tonight, Marie." he said, slightly nervous. It'd been playing on his mind since Hange had told him about it.

Petra was quite fond of taking charge during sex, apparently, to the point where sometimes she'd tie Hange up and do all sorts of 'depraved and deviant' things with or to them. Erwin at first simply nodded along, as Hange often told him all sorts of things about their sex life, but later on, it had interested him. He needed to give control up for one night, at least, to try and de-stress. And besides, there was something sexy about the idea of Marie tying him up. He felt wrong admitting it, but still, it was worth trying out.

"Well, it's your money. I'll do whatever you want." Marie replied, before smirking. "I mean, unless you wanna dress up like a baby or something weird like that. Then I'm gonna have to say no, old man."

"No, no, nothing like that." Erwin said, before pausing. He put his hands together in his lap, and looked down for a moment, gathering his words and courage. He looked back up, blue eyes meeting grey. "Would it be okay if you took control tonight?"

Marie frowned as though she didn't quite follow. "You mean, I get to decide what happens?"

"Sort of. I'd like it if you tied me up and, well, I suppose, I'd like it if you were to have sex with me like that." Erwin said, cheeks colouring a deep red.

"You want me to dominate you?" she asked.

Erwin froze. Was that what it was?

"You want me to control you, like, take charge? Order you about?" Marie tried.

Nodding, Erwin smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what it was called."

Marie grinned. "It's okay. I'm just enjoying how much like a blushin' virgin you are right now. It's rare for the great Sheriff Smith to be anythin' but cool and collected, and here you are, like a young boy 'bout to fuck for the first time."

There was something about how Marie was talking down to him that meant blood rushed straight to his cock.

"Strip, Erwin. Or should I call you Winnie? I hear Hange call you it all the time, and I have to say, it suits you." Marie continued.

Erwin stood up immediately, unbuttoning his shirt as fast as he could and letting it drop to the floor. His trousers and socks and shoes followed soon after, and within minutes, he was stood naked in front of Marie, who was practically sneering at him.

"You didn't answer me about what to call you, did you?" Marie asked, her voice silky and dark like the night sky. It sent shivers down Erwin's spine.

"Erwin." he replied.

"Erwin, please, ma'am." Marie corrected, black-rimmed eyes almost closed with how narrow they were.

"Erwin, please, ma'am." Erwin repeated.

"That's better." drawled Marie, standing up to bite into Erwin's neck. He hissed in pleasure- she'd done this many times before and he loved it. "Now, you're gonna address me as ma'am until we both cum, got that? Anythin' you don't like, you tell me by usin' my name."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good boy." Marie led Erwin over to the chair in front of her mirror and dressing table, sitting him down before wrapping a soft scarf round his wrists, like he was being handcuffed. Then his ankles were bound, and fabric was looped round his knees and tied to the chair's arms. Another scarf came round his chest, and he was securely tied down to the back of the chair. The only way off of it was if he tore the scarves, and he didn't want to do that.

"Tch. You're hard already." Marie frowned, and looked at his cock as though it wasn't even worthy of her. She wrapped her hand around it as well as she could, small fingers unable to fit round its girth, before rubbing up and down, twisting as she went. A few beads of precum spilled down, creating more lubrication for her to use, so she pumped his cock faster. Erwin bit his lip to try and keep his small sighs quiet, blue eyes slipping shut as he restrained the need to thrust into Marie's hand.

"You're pathetic, you know that, right?" she continued. "You can't even catch a criminal you've been chasin' for years. What makes you think I want your cock, boy?"

"I-I don't know, ma'am." Erwin replied. The way she was talking to him, humiliating him, it was almost too much for him to take. It was liberating, and arousing, and so many things that he didn't even know he needed.

"I suppose the reason I want it is probably because it's the only thing big enough to fill me up properly, like I deserve." Marie said. She stood up, staring down at him, before sliding herself onto his cock. Her face was scrunched up, although it couldn't disguise her rather obvious pleasure. "Mm... Now I'm going to use you, 'cause I own you for tonight. I'm going to fuck myself silly on your dick, and you're just gonna have to take it."

"Please, ma'am..." Erwin sighed. Just from the suggestion of what Marie was planning, he was close to blowing his load.

"Please what?" Marie asked, thin eyebrows furrowing, as though she was concerned he might back out.

"Do it." he answered. With that, she began, hands holding tight onto his broad shoulders to give some leverage, hips snapping quickly.

Her petite breasts bounced slightly as she moved up and down on him, but Erwin was mesmerised by Marie's beautiful thighs. They looked so powerful, and delicious. He wanted to suck and bite into them, but he obviously couldn't. His eyes flicked back up to Marie's face. Her eyes were shut, and her mouth was split wide open, red lips stretched into a silent scream. She was stunning, and now more than ever, Erwin wished she was his.

\--

That night, back at Erwin's home, he was studying his case notes as though it was the first time. Fresh eyes always spotted new things, and truly, tonight his eyes were fresher than ever. What he and Marie had done was phenomenal, it was mind blowing, and he was still completely blissed out because of it. His heart swelled just from thinking of her, and how good she was to him. He ignored the fact that she was paid to be good to him, of course, focussing on how loving and gentle she'd been after their scene had ended, how she'd kissed his face and called him a good boy. He'd been so close to confessing there and then that he was in love with her, but obviously his logical side had gotten in the way.

Think of the case, he reminded himself, as he thought for the millionth time about how soft Marie's lips had been on his face and neck and shoulders and chest.

Obviously, their criminal's name was Levi, and so far that was really all they knew about him. They didn't even know what he looked like, considering the bandana he used to cover his face, and the baggy clothes which disguised his build. All they knew was that he murdered a lot of businessmen, all of whom had come to the town because of the gold rush.

"Every murder was committed at night. Every murder also involved a robbery, although we don't know whether the robberies happen before or after the death takes place. Every murder happened in this town- At least, the ones we know of." Erwin muttered to himself. 

The thing that was so damn frustrating about this case was that none of the men he'd interviewed had lied about their whereabouts, since incredibly, all of them had solid alibis that could be confirmed by other people. Erwin had even gone to other towns to ask for help from the other Sheriffs, interviewed any man that had even a slightly weak alibi. But there was nothing. There wasn't a single man in this town, or in any town surrounding them, that fit Levi's height and build. It was as though he didn't exist.

Before he could waste more of his time, there was a knock at the door.

"Erwin? Erwin? You in there?" Mike called.

"Yeah, come in." Erwin replied.

The door opened, and Mike poked his head in. "There's been another one, and this time we managed to see him leavin'."

Erwin stood up immediately, and followed Mike.

\--

They ended up back at Petra's place, although the murder had taken place in the brothel upstairs.

Mike explained to him that Marie had been 'entertaining' a client, but halfway through she'd been knocked out. The assailant must have been hidden in the room for hours beforehand, though, since Marie started work at about 9pm. It was currently midnight.

The man who was fucking her had then had his throat slit, and Marie had woken up just in time to see a short man leaving through the window, accidentally leaving behind a map.

Erwin was understandably delighted. He'd spent months trying to capture Levi, and now he was practically being given him. The map had coordinates plotted that led to a small set of underground caves near a lake, right outside the town. It'd be simple to find where the coordinates led, and Erwin was betting everything he had that this was Levi's hideout, on account of the geography of the area. His father had known that Kenny was using caves to hide out in, he just didn't know where. Erwin was was certain that the caves on the map, and the caves his father had theorised about were one and the same. However, there was one problem. The whole thing seemed too easy. Erwin now had a map that supposedly led to Levi's hideout, but if the man who'd left the room was in fact Levi, why would he be carrying around a map that could potentially get him caught?

It had to be a trap of some sort. There was no way that a criminal as smart as Levi would leave behind a map to his hideout unless it was on purpose. However, Erwin's initial excitement and happiness didn't fade with that realisation, though, as it was a good sign. It meant Levi was trying to lure Erwin out for some purpose. If Levi wanted Erwin, then he'd get Erwin. And what better time than the present? It was incredibly risky, but if the map had been left behind tonight, then surely Levi wasn't planning on waiting long for Erwin to arrive.

"Mike, I have an idea." he said. His brother turned to look at him.

"I'm gonna ride here tonight, and finish this once and for all." Erwin explained, pointing to the spot on the map.

"Oh, fuck no, Erwin. I'm not lettin' you go on no suicide mission." Mike replied, frowning. His already thin eyes narrowed even more, and he sighed. "As long as you take me and Nile, then maybe."

"Of course. But you have to let me go in alone." Erwin said. That was important to him. He needed to catch Levi on his own, to give him some sort of closure. 

\--

The caves were already shrouded in darkness, blue-purple-grey rocks poking jagged into the inky sky. A few stars lit their way, but they needed torches too, so they didn't accidentally run into Indian territory. Erwin respected the Indians greatly, so didn't want to create any sort of problem between them and his town.  

Erwin and Mike were silent, the Sheriff suspected that Mike was still pissed at him, and so he wasn't going to antagonise the situation any more. Nile had chickened out, so he was still at home, but Hange had decided to come with them, their reason being that no one kills in their brothel and gets away with it.

All three of them rode right up to the entrance, tying their horses to a small tree. Erwin got off his horse, and brandishing his gun, decided to go into the caves right then and there.

"Good luck, Winnie!" Hange whispered.

Mike begrudgingly waved him off too, and Erwin knew that was him apologising.

The caves had a very complex set of tunnels inside them, but the map made it clear that the hideout was right in the centre. It took some time, but Erwin eventually found himself pretty close to the mark. He felt a strange mix of excitement and apprehension. Plus, there was the added factor that if tonight went well, all of those years he'd spent obsessing about Levi would be over, and well... He had sort of enjoyed it. It was the thrill of the chase, after all, and once it was over, Erwin might never feel the same way about another case. 

He carried on looking about, though, fingers blindly groping at the walls because his damn torch decided to die down right when he needed it, until he heard a voice. It was a young girl's.

"What I said, that was cool, right?" she asked.

"Don't be stupid." another voice replied. They sounded halfway between a man and a woman, almost like Hange. But it was obvious they were more masculine, just from the syrupy, deep tone to their voice. It did sound familiar though, and it bugged Erwin that he couldn't tell who it was. If he could just change it in his head, change the pitch or something, he was certain he'd be able to recognise it properly.

"How long do we have to wait?" a third voice asked. This was definitely a man's. "I thought you said that he'd come tonight."

Suddenly Erwin felt the prod of a gun in his back.

"Good actin' there, kids." the ambiguous voice said. "We've caught our pig by surprise. Now, put down the gun, big guy. You wouldn't wanna die now, would ya?"

Erwin did as he was asked, bending slowly to put it on the ground. He would go along with what they asked of him, because he was so close to discovering the truth about who or what was going on here.

"Alright, you stupid fucker, stand back up." the voice behind him said. "In front of you, see that girl there? That's Isabel. Follow her, and don't you fuckin' dare look behind you."

Again, Erwin did as he was told as a friendly looking girl approached him. She had bright red hair put up in pigtails, and a grin the same size as the gun in her hand.

"Right this way, mister pig." she said, her voice chirpy like a little bird. The two other voices still hadn't made themselves seen, but this was clearly the young girl he'd heard a moment ago.

He followed Isabel to a small room in the centre. It was remarkably well decorated for a room in the middle of caves, since the walls were painted white, and the floor was covered in hard wood. There were three beds, and a chest of drawers. Then, in the middle of the room, was a chair, which a tall, sandy haired man stood next to. He held ropes in his hand, and, as Erwin was unsurprised to notice, another gun.

"My name's Farlan. Sit your ass down, and I won't shoot, 'kay?" he drawled. This was the man's voice he'd heard before.

Erwin nodded obediently, and he sat down in the chair.

A small figure, swathed in thick layers of fabric which basically hid any discernible features, entered the room. Finally, Erwin thought. This must be the owner of the main voice.

"Well, I have to say, I'm kinda glad you didn't put up a fight, big guy. You've got quite a good face, and I wouldn't want anyone to have to blow it off." they said, confirming what Erwin knew. This was the final voice he'd heard. It also must belong to Levi, since he should be in the caves right now.

They came closer, and Erwin sat perfectly still as he let them tie the ropes from Farlan's hand tight round him. His wrists were bound together, as well as his ankles, and then he was tied to the chair with a series of intricate loops and knots. If Erwin wasn't being tied up by a criminal, he'd be amazed by the beauty of it. And of all the times to do so, his mind drifted to Marie, and that brilliant, brilliant night they had.

"Levi, I assume." Erwin said, surprisingly calm, his expression nor voice betraying any of his fear.

"Yeah, that's me." The many hoods that covered his face shook as he nodded.

"I'm glad I finally got to meet you, mister, 'fore I die." Erwin replied. "You've been the bane of my existence for the past few years, and well, if anyone's gonna kill me, I'm happy it's you."

The three criminals were silent for a moment, before Levi started laughing, standing up to his full height. It was ugly, his laugh, a sort of snorting chuckle.

"What the fuck?" he said, laughter dying down. "Are you crazy?"

Erwin stared blankly at the man, or more accurately, the hoods. It was almost as though one wasn't enough. Either he was seriously ugly, or he had something to hide, and Erwin was willing to bet it was the latter. What could it be though? 

"I don't think I am, no. Why'd you ask?" he answered.

"Because no one says that before they die. No sane person, anyway." Levi replied. "So either you're crazy, or you think you ain't really gonna die."

Simply shrugging, Erwin stayed silent.

"Any last requests, asshole?" Levi asked.

Erwin smiled slightly. He figured that if Levi was going to do anything for him, he might as well do the one thing Erwin really wanted him to, and that was reveal himself. If he was going to die, he'd be able to die happy once he knew who he was. "I'd like to see your face."

"No." Levi answered, immediately. He seemed to have lost any mercy he had, any hint of kindness or playfulness that he'd shown previously. His gun raised to meet Erwin's forehead. "Fuck you, Er-"

"Yahoo!" Hange yelled, bursting into the room with a gun in each hand. "Alright, you fuckers, listen up! No one kills a man in my brothel or kidnaps my Winnie and gets away with it. These guns are capable of piercin' your cold hearts faster than you can think to press your triggers, so either you put your guns down, or I'll make you drop 'em."

Isabel and Farlan paled, looking towards Levi for guidance. He shrugged, and dropped his gun. They followed suit, and as Mike entered the room, Hange cuffed and led away Isabel and Farlan. 

"Winnie, when this is all over, you're gettin' another dinner from Petra." Hange called as they walked out. Erwin smiled, slightly reassured by that.

Levi stood with his arms folded in front of Erwin, as though he didn't care about what was going on around him, so Mike decided to free his brother before taking him out. A gentle brush on Erwin's knee was all he got in the way of acknowledgment from Mike, but it was all he needed.

Mike approached Levi, and before the taller man could react, he'd flicked out a knife and pressed it against his neck. The hoods that covered Levi's head fell off in the process, and Erwin's mouth went dry as he gazed upon the face of the man he'd been hunting for years.

Grey eyes. Small nose. Pouty mouth. Black hair.

"Marie?" Erwin asked, confused. He knew it was impossible that this was Marie, that they were twins, or something, but Marie and Levi were completely identical, even down to the tiny smirk that pulled on pink lips. He couldn't help but utter her name in the place of Levi's.

"Yeah, kinda." he replied, cryptically.

Mike managed to get out his own knife while Levi was distracted, and stab it right through the thick folds of fabric that covered his stomach.

"Shit." Levi hissed, teeth gritted, eyes still locked on Erwin. He dropped his knife, which landed with a clatter, and put his hands up. Mike put handcuffs on as he'd planned, and lifted up Levi to rest in his arms. He knew that Erwin wanted him alive.

\--

The prison had a small room that acted as a sort of infirmary, in case anyone in there fell ill. It was not equipped to deal with stab wounds, but Hange did the best they could with what was there.

They came out of the room. "He's all yours. Might be a little groggy, but I'm sure he'll be more than happy to answer your questions."

"Thank you, Hange. For everythin'." Erwin replied, before putting his hand on their shoulder. "I hope the offer of dinner still stands."

"Oh, Erwin. It weren't no offer. You're comin' for dinner whether you like it or not." they grinned, before slapping his ass. "Now go terrorise that crook."

Inside the room, as Erwin remembered from a couple of visits he'd made previously, was a small bed in the corner. Levi was covered in blankets, face slightly red from the amount of heat he was generating.

"Good mornin', Sheriff." he said, smirking at Erwin.

"Good mornin', Levi." Erwin replied. He sat down on the chair next to the bed. "Now, I'm gonna ask some questions, 'kay? Dependin' on how you answer-"

"I know. I'm gonna answer properly because I want Isabel and Farlan outta here. I don't care 'bout myself. As long as they're okay..." Levi said, voice trailing off.

"'Course. Well, first of all, I wanna know what you meant when you said you were 'kinda' Marie." Erwin said. The question technically had no relevance to his investigation, but Erwin wanted- no, needed- to know.

Levi smiled slightly, grey eyes falling shut. He sighed, before staring straight at Erwin. "Your friend, Hange..."

"Yes?"

"They ain't a man nor woman, right?" Levi said. Erwin shook his head. "And you're okay with that?"

"'Course I am, they're my friend." Erwin replied.

Levi nodded. "Good, 'cause I'm kinda like them."

A thick eyebrow raised, Erwin stared as he waited for Levi to continue. He was reminded of what Marie had said the other day. "Sometimes I envy Hange. Don't you?" she'd said. At the time, he assumed it was because of their job, but something told Erwin that that had never been the case.

"I was born to a hooker, a hooker named Kuchel Ackerman. She was gorgeous, came from a long line of pretty, high class whores. She wanted a little girl who'd carry on earnin' money like she did, wanted to make sure that even if the two of them couldn't get out of the gutter, they'd get as close as they fuckin' could. Lucky Kuchel, 'cause she got what she wanted." Levi said, half spitting out his words. He seemed angry to be talking about it.

He continued anyway, fingers twitching as though he was anxious about saying what he needed to say. "Ma got a girl named Marie, apparently she was a pretty little thing. Only, Marie didn't like herself. Despised that she was like her mama, and wanted to be like her uncle Kenny, complete with a dick and nasty attitude. When she was 7, she got her way. Ma died and Kenny took her in, taught her all the tricks of the trade, even how to kill a man."

"When Kenny died, she carried on doin' what he was doin'. Only, no one'd take a woman seriously, so she got to be what she always wanted to be. She got to be a man." Levi said, avoiding Erwin's gaze. He spoke as though he was talking about someone he barely knew.

"Obviously Marie is a woman's name, and it'd be even harder to get a reputation as a man with it, so she picked the name that her ma would've used if she'd pushed out a boy. Levi. That was the name she chose." Levi continued. He seemed close to choking it all out, and Erwin almost pitied him. "That's why you could fuck me. 'Cause I ain't a real man. I'm just a sad little girl playin' dress up."

So, Marie had been Levi all this time. She'd wanted to be a man, but still sold her body as though she was a woman. Erwin frowned. He wasn't sure how to react. It made sense, no matter whether he accepted the idea or not. The voice he'd heard in the caves had been deeper and huskier than the voice Marie usually used, but it definitely sounded like her, and Erwin was disappointed that he hadn't recognised it. 

What did it mean for his love? He'd fallen in love with Marie, a woman, but now she was telling him she wanted to be a man. He was still in love with her, that much he knew, even if she wasn't the person he thought she was, even if she was a criminal. His feelings couldn't be helped.

She was just gorgeous, and smart, and funny, and strong. If the two of them hadn't been in this situation, if Marie, no, Levi wasn't a criminal, and Erwin wasn't a sheriff, would he still be able to love him? Of course he would. Erwin knew for certain that, without a doubt, he would still love Levi, regardless of what parts he had.

The person on the bed was a criminal, though, the bane of Erwin's existence for years now. He'd killed so many people, and it was almost certain that he'd go to Hell. Erwin wasn't sure whether anything could happen. Could Levi redeem himself? Yes, of course, Erwin thought. More importantly, though, would he want to?

Levi rolled his eyes and spoke before Erwin could consider further. "Just as I thought, asshole. You ain't as open minded as you pretend to be. Anyway, what else do you wanna know? I had no reason for killin' anyone aside from the fact they were on my uncle's list. I whored myself out for the money, so me an' Isabel an' Farlan could live comfortably. That's it. So, if you wanna lock me up an' throw away the key, go ahead. I ain't gonna stop you. Just as long as Isabel an' Farlan get out."

"Levi..." Erwin said, voice low and unsteady. "How 'bout we make a deal?"

"A deal?" Levi repeated, sneering slightly. "Lemme guess, you get to keep me as your personal whore, fuck me whenever you want, an' you'll let my friends go."

Erwin felt a little hurt, because he was sure that Levi knew him well enough to know he'd never do that.

"No." he replied. "I want to give you a job, as a deputy."

Levi looked at him, wide eyed for a moment, before laughing again, that snorting, ugly laugh that he'd done in the caves.

"Fine, do whatever you fuckin' want. If you trust me 'nough to have me, go ahead." Levi said. "But Isabel an' Farlan..."

"They're free. Completely pardoned of everythin'. They can live life how they wanna now, and you can provide for them with your new job." Erwin replied, smiling slightly. It was a lot to take in, that the woman he loved was actually the man he hated, but he supposed that something like that was what he deserved. At least now it meant that he'd have a chance of saving Levi, of turning him into someone good. And of course, it wasn't necessarily a negative that he was attractive, although right now he didn't particularly want to think about that. He'd have time to properly process it later.

\--

"Good afternoon, an' thank you for lettin' me talk to you on this fine day." Erwin said, addressing the town in their little assembly hall, a couple of weeks after they'd caught Levi. Everybody had filled it, and he even saw Jean and Marco, right at the front, sat next to Petra and Hange who were both cooing over how cute the boys were. Then, at the back, were Isabel and Farlan, who were busy talking to Mike. Isabel was jumping in her seat like an excited puppy, and Mike seemed pretty happy to talk to both her and Farlan, who was smiling softly. Even Nile was in the crowd, looking pretty damn happy to be talking to some woman that Erwin had seen around before.

The crowd's chattering stopped, of course, when Erwin addressed them.

"Now, I'm sure many of you know about a recent case me an' my deputies have been working on, concernin' a serial killer." he carried on, speaking confidently to his audience. He knew what he was going to say was potentially controversial, but he also knew that if given the information correctly, the town might just take to this idea quite well.

"And I am aware that he killed a great many of our townspeople, however what we must remember at this time is that the core of our town is family, correct?" A great deal of murmurs from the audience confirmed what he already knew; they'd trust him on this.

"Imagine this- Aged seven, you are orphaned. No ma, no pa, no siblings. You are alone. Except for your uncle. He is the only family that you have, and you don't quite know what he does for a livin', but you look up to him 'cause he's the only family you got." Erwin continued, maintaining eye contact with the townspeople. "So, he takes you in, raises you best he can. The only problem is, your uncle isn't kind old uncle Kenny, not how you know him. He's Kenny the Ripper, an infamous serial killer who teaches you the tricks of the trade, manipulates you, an innocent child, into becoming his heir. 'Course, when he dies, you have no choice but to carry on doin' what he did, 'cause you're family, and you don't know any different 'cause he raised you."

More murmurs, and a few concerned sounds. Erwin steels himself for what he's about to say.

"As God-fearing people, many of you will know that people can change. If you ask for forgiveness, if you repent for your sins, you can take the path of the good and the righteous and take your deserved place in Heaven." Erwin hates sounding so much like a preacher, but he has to do what he can to appeal to the town. "The scenario I was describing is real, and it happened to the serial killer I spoke of before. He is simply a misguided soul, brainwashed at a young age to become evil. But he can change, he will change, and I will help him, with your help, 'course."

Erwin felt like smiling, since the town seemed very pleased to help someone become 'good', judging by the noises they made.

"So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce to you him. He's our newest deputy, Levi Ackerman."

The crowd gasped as Levi stepped forwards, joining Erwin in the light of the stage. 

"Good afternoon." he said, looking unimpressed at the audience. Many of them recognised him as Marie, and so were understandably confused. "Thanks for letting me... get good again." 

"I know a lot of people here know me under a different name, and I'd like to ask that you don't reveal it otherwise I'll reveal _why_ you know it, if you catch my drift." Levi looked mildly threatening, before his face relaxed back into his normal bored expression. Erwin almost smiled, knowing that Levi intended on telling wives that their husbands had indeed visited him while he was a hooker.

"But, other than that, I'm sure all of us can get along." he finished, smirking. "Praise Jesus an' all." 

The townspeople were silent for a moment, and Erwin's heart almost stopped, but a second later and they were clapping. People were even stood up. He knew that just by framing Levi's story right, he could become a sympathetic figure, someone that the town could pity and want to care for, and aid him in atoning for his crimes. 

\--

"You sure?" Levi asked for the millionth time.

"Yes, I'm completely sure." Erwin replied, smiling wide. "They loved you, really."

Levi stood and nodded. "Good." He turned to walk towards the door of Erwin's office.

"Wait, Levi, sit down. I need to talk to you about somethin'." 

Levi's thin brows furrowed, leaving little lines in between them. Erwin felt the sudden urge to kiss them away.

Over the past couple of weeks, he'd had time to think about everything. He understood that Levi was a murderer, but as he'd told the town, really it wasn't his fault. It was the only life he knew, how was he supposed to know any better? He also understood that Levi wanted to be a man. it was hard to get his head around, because he'd fallen in love with Marie. However, Levi was the person on the inside, always had been, so it shouldn't make a difference. He would still have the same body, same thoughts and feelings, same charming way of acting. If anything, it would be easier to be his friend now, since Erwin would no longer have to pay to see Levi. Anything more could come later, although they'd most likely have to hide it from the town. It's unlikely they'd take kindly to a reformed criminal becoming the male lover of their Sheriff. 

But he'd been thinking that he should probably talk to him about what he felt. Aside from the whole being in love thing, of course. 

"What is it?" Levi asked, as he sat down. "If you're gonna tell me somethin' weird, I don't wanna know." 

"No, nothin' weird." Erwin said, trying to be reassuring. "Jus' that, well, we have a lot of... intimate history. And I was wondering if... If you were findin' it hard or..."

Marie, and now obviously Levi, had this frustrating effect on him, leaving him unable to talk properly, reducing him to an awkward teenager. It was terrible, but that was the price of love, he supposed.

"Oh." Levi replied, cheeks tinting pink. "Well, no. I mean, I figured that was in the past, right? We fucked, sure, but that wasn't all we did. We were good friends- weren't we?"

Erwin scratched the back of his head, trying to seem unaffected by the conversation. "We still can be friends, if you want. What I told the town, I mean it. I know you ain't evil or anythin'." 

Nodding, Levi slowly looked down at the desk, thin white fingers tracing the pattern and grain of the wood. 

"And uh... How're you findin' it with the whole name thing? Is it nicer bein' called Levi now?"

Levi nodded again. "Yeah. I feel more comfortable, definitely." Grey eyes flicked up to stare at Erwin's own blue ones. "What about you? You findin' it hard calling me a man's name when you're used to a woman?"

Erwin shrugged. "It makes no difference to me what you want to be called. I just wanna make you feel good." He suddenly realised what that sounded like and cringed.

"Hey, I thought that was my job." Levi smirked. "Well, it used to be, right?"

"Mm, yeah. Did a damn good job of it too, if you don't mind me sayin'. I always enjoyed myself." Erwin knew he was getting into dangerous territory here, but he was fully prepared to shut up the moment he saw any sign from Levi that he should.

"Yeah, I know full well how much you enjoyed yourself, you came over every other day. My most loyal customer, although that was probably 'cause you were the only one that liked how I was." Levi looked back down at the table, shaking his head. "There were times where I even thought..." He shook his head harder this time. "Whatever. I should get goin'. Hange's probably waitin'."

"You can spare a few moments, surely?" Erwin said, raising an eyebrow. He was curious as to what Levi thought. In the back of his mind, he was certain that it was his feelings that Levi had figured out, but he could be wrong. "What did you think?"

Levi closed his eyes, almost as though he was exasperated. He pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing small circles before exhaling. "I almost thought..." he began, sounding forceful. "That you might have had feelins' for me. But it's fuckin' stupid, I know. Anyway, I seriously need to get goin' now. Hange must be worryin' where I am."

Erwin was slightly concerned with the potential consequences of the fact that he knew what his feelings were. Well, he suspected them at least.

"Hange, they don't mind cookin' for more than one guest at a time. Maybe I could... come with you. If you don't mind?" Erwin said, unsure and hesitant. It was rare for him to sound like that, but again, Marie always made him feel uncertain of himself, and Levi would be no different. It was amazing, really, how easily his feelings carried over from Marie to Levi.

"Nah, don't mind at all." Levi said, finally standing again. Erwin stood too, and he was overcome for a second by the size difference between them. It was so much more noticeable in a situation like this, where they were stood face to face. 

Levi gave him a small smile, normally pale cheeks now a rosy red. He looked so delicious, Erwin wanted to do all sorts of things to him. But he wouldn't, not now. Not unless he had Levi's explicit permission. 

\--

Hange was a woman today, and Erwin suspected it was to make Levi subconsciously notice the symmetry of two women and two men. It was a nice gesture on their part, and he decided he'd say something later to them.

They did look very pretty, glossy brown hair washed and braided in honour of their guest, who as it turned out, had quite the obsession with cleanliness.

"Well, caves and shit, they ain't the cleanest of places, right? I guess I kinda... don't want where I live to be filthy like that. And I live in my body, so I have to be clean, and I live with other people, so they have to be clean." Levi explained, since Petra had asked him about it.

It was almost shameful how little Erwin actually knew about Levi. He might have been in love with him, but it was mainly because of how easily they interacted, and how Levi acted as a person. Not to mention that regardless of sex or gender or anything else, Levi was gorgeous. Now he thought about it properly, all those months of talking, and he and Marie had only really spoken about himself. About how he wanted a family one day, wanted to settle down with someone, so on and so forth. They'd never spoken about Marie, which now made sense but at the time Erwin had never questioned it. He'd been so selfish, and he hated that thought. He would endeavour to find out more about Levi, find out about his hopes and dreams, and hopefully be able to fall even deeper in love with him. 

"Makes sense." Hange nodded. They then grinned. "I reckon we need seconds, right? And some more wine."  They stood up to fetch some more food for the table, and to top up drinks, gesturing for Petra to come assist.

Erwin and Levi were left alone at the table, awkwardly avoiding each other's gaze. They were sat facing each other, of course, another part of Hange's brilliant planning, but neither of them seemed to be up to staring into each other's eyes. Erwin cursed how he felt, how hopelessly infatuated he was, yet he resolved to talk.

"You-" 

"I-" 

Both men had tried talking at the same time, which resulted in semi-nervous laughter from both of them. 

"You first." Levi said, looking almost shyly up from the spot on the table where his gaze had been fixed. 

Erwin smiled and nodded. "I was simply goin' to say you scrub up well." 

There'd been enough time for Erwin to go home and change before dinner, and Levi had obviously done so too, since he was no longer wearing the uniform that was two sizes too big for him, he was simply wearing a brown shirt and jeans.                           

"Thanks." Levi replied, looking down at his body. He then raised his eyebrows, and jutted his head in Erwin's direction. "You don't look so bad yourself." 

Erwin had put on one of his better-fitting suits, a nice pale brown colour. He'd foregone a jacket, since his waistcoat and shirt made the best out of his body. Erwin would be lying if he said he didn't want to show off and look nice for Levi. "Thank you." he said, before smiling a little more. "We kinda match. I mean, you're wearin' brown, I'm wearin' brown."

"Oh, yeah. We do." Levi nodded. He stared at Erwin's chest for a moment or two, before his silver eyes flicked away. 

"Okay, boys, we've got more food. I decided on bringin' out dessert since I know both of you like sweet things, right?" Hange said, walking into the dining room with a tray in their hands. Petra came behind them, holding two bottles of wine. 

"I wasn't sure whether we wanted more red or some white." she said, apologetically. 

Levi stood up at the table. "Thank you, but I'm gonna head up now." he said. "Dinner was great. See you tomorrow, Hange, Petra."

He left the dining room without another word, leaving every person present thoroughly confused.

\--

Erwin had pretty much been sent away after that, Hange claimed they knew what the problem was, and apparently Levi didn't want him in the house because of it. He felt pretty bad, but at the same time, he did have work to be getting on with.

There had apparently been tensions forming between the Indians next to the town and a few workers that had joined in the ranch at the edge. Erwin knew the people that owned the ranch, so this would be simple. All he did was speak to them, and that was it. The case was resolved, just like that. 

It was just as he thought, though. After Levi's case, he was bored. Nothing caught his attention like that did. Nothing could compare, and it never would again. It was a shame, of course, but Erwin knew he still had to do his job.

He went back to his office, and did a little bit of filing. It wasn't much, just some notes he had to write up properly and put into their correct folders, but he was grateful for the distraction. 

"It's filthy in here." a familiar voice said. Erwin's eyes drifted up to see Levi stood at the doorway, arms folded. 

"Apologies. If I'd known..." Erwin let his voice trail off as he noticed how Levi was completely avoiding his gaze. He wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Don't worry 'bout it. I didn't say I was comin' round, did I? You couldn't have known." Levi said, before taking a seat across from Erwin. "Anyway, I came to apologise. Earlier on... At Hange's, I was rude. I-- Fuck. You know what you were sayin', 'bout our history together? And how I thought you--" Levi shook his head, like he thought what he was saying was stupid. 

"Levi, if you'd prefer, we could have this conversation later." Erwin offered, which only made Levi shake his head more. 

"No, I gotta-- I gotta get this out. I like you, Erwin. An' I don't know what to do 'bout it 'cause you're a man, and I'm a... man, and--" Levi sighed, closing his eyes like he was exasperated by himself. His eyes opened again, and Erwin swore his soul was being pierced by that enchanting silvery grey. "Help me, Erwin. Tell me what to do."

Sat there with his mouth slightly open, almost in shock that his dream had basically come true, Erwin was in no better position to know what to do than Levi was. "I think," Erwin said, swallowing as though his throat was filled with sand. "You should come here." He opened his arms, waiting for Levi to move round the desk and fall into his arms. 

He did, and it felt right. Levi was small but sturdy in his arms, and it warmed his heart that he was allowed to embrace him like this.

"Levi... This feels good, doesn't it?" Erwin said, moving Levi's chin up with his fingers so that he could stare down at him. Levi nodded, so Erwin smiled softly. "You don't need to worry about anythin', then. You were right 'bout how I felt-- How I _still_ feel 'bout you." 

They stayed like that for a moment, and Erwin wondered if finally his life was changing. First he caught Levi, then he managed to get the love of his life. Perhaps this was a whole new chapter for him. If it was, then he was glad. Hange and Petra, he knew, would say he deserved it. And maybe he did.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Comments/kudos/etc. are appreciated, and all mistakes are my own.  
> I think there's one last fic after this, and then I can stop spamming the eruri tag lol.


End file.
